NSW · Shellharbour Council
Tongarra, 2527
Current weather
11.2°CClear sky
57% humidity · 17.2 km/h wind · 14.7° / 8.4° today · 2.7 mm rain
Updated
- Green suburb
Suburb profile
Tongarra is a welcoming smaller community in Shellharbour, with a settled community character. Life revolves around the local community, with the wider region offering trips and services when needed. Established families and long-term residents give the suburb a settled feel, with a strong presence of young families throughout.
Reasonable public transport access helps with commuting and getting around locally. Property is in demand, reflecting the appeal of living in a place people actively choose.
A trickle of new development is refreshing selected pockets without changing the overall feel.
Population
- Population
- 141
- Median age
- 46
- Median household income / week
- $3,041
- Dwelling vacancy
- 19.2%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 10 of 52
- Median monthly mortgage
- $3,100
- Employment rate
- 72.1%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 0 / 0 / 0
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $550
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $750
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $710
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 130
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · Period: January to March 2026 · Updated on site · Quarterly releases
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 6
- Against the person
- 2
- Against property
- 3
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 42.6
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 70 residents
- State safety percentile
- 17.9th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -14.1%
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Breach Apprehended Violence Order58
- Domestic Violence Related Assault93
- Fraud123
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment117
- Malicious Damage To Property104
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Period: Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
Public transport
9 public transport stops in this suburb
- 2749 Illawarra Hwy
- Illawarra Hwy At Lakeview Rd
- Illawarra Hwy Before Tongarra Ln
- Illawarra Hwy Greenvalleys
- North Macquarie Rd At Illawarra Hwy
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · Period: current · Updated on site · GTFS static feed (updated nightly)
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal (lodged 2020–2026).
10 planning-related records
2026· 1 proposal
January 2026
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure123 LAKEVIEW ROAD TONGARRA 2527Determined
2023· 2 proposals
September 2023
- Retaining walls, protection of trees; Other33-89 TONGARRA LANE TONGARRA 2527Determined
July 2023
- Other2926 Illawarra Highway Tongarra 2527Determined
2022· 1 proposal
January 2022
- Dwelling; Pools / decks / fencing; Shed123 LAKEVIEW ROAD TONGARRA 2527Determined
2021· 5 proposals
December 2021
- Dwelling; Pools / decks / fencing; Shed123 LAKEVIEW ROAD TONGARRA 2527Withdrawn
November 2021
- Dwelling; Demolition; Alterations and additions to residential development; Change of use119 LAKEVIEW ROAD TONGARRA 2527Determined
October 2021
- Other2926 Illawarra Highway Tongarra 2527Determined
July 2021
- Alterations and additions to residential development25 LAKEVIEW ROAD TONGARRA 2527Determined
April 2021
- Dwelling2751 ILLAWARRA HIGHWAY TONGARRA 2527Determined
2020· 1 proposal
December 2020
- Other2926 Illawarra Highway Tongarra 2527Determined
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · Period: 2020–2026 · Updated on site · Daily open-data feed (applications from Oct 2018)
Amenities
No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 9/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 8/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- Overlay applies
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site
Recent changes
- Breach Apprehended Violence Ordercrime58
- Domestic Violence Related Assaultcrime93
- Fraudcrime123
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassmentcrime117
- Malicious Damage To Propertycrime104
- 2749 Illawarra Hwytransport
- Illawarra Hwy At Lakeview Rdtransport
- Illawarra Hwy Before Tongarra Lntransport
- Illawarra Hwy Greenvalleystransport
- North Macquarie Rd At Illawarra Hwytransport
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · Updated on site · GTFS static feed (updated nightly)
More in Shellharbour Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.